Showing posts with label is xbox one worth buying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label is xbox one worth buying. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Review of Rygar

Rygar
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
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Sadly the PS2 version of "Rygar" is nothing but a DMC clone. The original RYGAR NES was far better than the arcade game. It had depth, challenge and paved the way for action adventure/hack and slash/ RPG hybrids on consoles.

The difficulty was insane thanks to no save points. But aside from that old school flaw, the game is flat out fun and engaging. My fondest NES memories are from staying up all night as a kid beating this game

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I bought it for my husband who played the game as a child. He had never been able to beat the game then; and had been wanting to beat it for the past 20 some years. He has since beaten the game and loves playing it over and over.

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This game will really take you back if you grew up playing Nintendo. Arrived in perfect condition. Couldn't step away from it until I beat the game. Just like old times!

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This games rocks! I received it as a gift and thought that it was going to be stupid. But I decided to pop it into the NES and just play it to get the feel for the gameplay and if it indeed was a dumb game. Boy was I wrong; this game kept me occupied for hours on end. Great game to the last level. Fun gameplay. Unique idea and style of play, and one of the most unknown games on the market. I would buy it if they made it available for Gamecube.

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Circa 1987... They had just abolished my job of nearly 4 years and there I was collecting unemployment and living in a single room apartment. But I had Rygar. Oh, what a fantastic game this is and what fun to play. This game didn't offer the ability to save progress, so being unemployed was an added benefit at the time. Not wanting to lose any progress, I remember leaving the game turned on when I would run across the street to purchase some snacks at the 7/11. I think that one of the things that makes this game such a wonderful experience is the music. This was the first video game that ever caused me to fall in love with the theme music. The music in this game is OUTSTANDING!

The controls are simple and easy to learn. The adventure itself is somewhat involved, leaving you with a real sense of satisfaction when complete. The venues change throughout the game keeping it interesting. What a fantastic game this is! I thank God for wonderful games such as Rygar! Thanks God! (Spoken while pointing both index fingers toward the Heavens!)

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Monday, January 26, 2015

Reviews of Brother's in Arms: Hell's Highway Limited Edition - Xbox 360

Brother's in Arms: Hell's Highway Limited Edition - Xbox 360
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
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I have been waiting a long time for Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway to come out. There have been numerous delays and the game was supposed to come out sometime last year. Well it finally came out and I picked up the game yesterday from my local Game Retailer.

The game follows up the first two Brothers in Arms games that came out earlier. You play the role of Sergeant Matt Baker who leads squads of men through Holland during Operation Market Garden in September 1944 during World War II. Operation Market Garden was the last German victory in Europe during the war.

I think the game has a great story line. The game in my opinion is very well done and acted out. It really shows what I think every soldier has to endure and go through during wartime. It is very emotional and gripping. You find out that soldiers have to make life or death decisions that can effect them the rest of their lives. This game shows not only soldiers struggling through this conflict, but also Dutch civilians who were caught in the crossfire between the Allies and the Germans.

If you are looking for a game where you make tactical decisions about how to fight battles during Operation Market Garden, this is it. Your decisions can decide the life's of your soldiers under your command.

The AI is very good in this game. I read some game reviews from other gaming websites where the game reviewers were complaining about German Soldiers who were just standing around when you shoot at them. First of all, you can now sneak up on German Soldiers to plan an attack without them knowing your there. In other words, you can set up an ambush. You set up you and your squads where you want them to fight the Germans. Of course the Germans are going to stand around if they don't know that you are there hiding. Second you can now set up you and your men where the Germans are caught in a cross fire when you fire at them with your weapons. The Germans get confused because there is no where to run and hide. So of course a lot of them are going to stand around because of the crossfire. That happens in real life too.

The graphics are real good in this game. I understand the developers of this game went to actual locations around Holland and took thousands of pictures to make the game looked like Holland during World War II. That is very impressive.

I think the game has a lot of replay value to it because the Germans react differently every time you play the game again. Each time you try to figure out how you will fight different battles throughout the game. I recommend buying this game especially if you like playing World War II games like me.

October 5, 2008

UPDATE: I just finished playing Brothers in Arms: Hells Highway and I noticed a couple of things I wanted to update about this game. I'm a true gamer who likes to give honest opinions about the games I play. The above opinions were given when I was only half way through the game. Here are the updates.

1. The graphics are great at the beginning of the game and toward the middle, but not at the end. It seems like the game developer got into a big hurry to finish this game and just threw in graphics from the "Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood" game into the end of this game. The trees and buildings at the end of game just look dull and not very detailed like at the beginning and the middle of the game. The game was already a year behind schedule and I'm sure the game developer got pressured into finishing the game as soon as possible. I was wondering why I never saw any game trailers that show any missions that were at the end of this game. Now I know why.

2. None of the mission maps you play through are very big throughout the game. You play a little way through a mission and then you get a cut scene. That scenario plays over and over again throughout the game. Too many cut scenes and not enough playing time. If you want a comparison in map sizes, try playing Battlefield: Bad Company and you'll see what I'm talking about as far as map sizes go. Battlefield: Bad Company maps are a lot bigger with less cut scenes.

3. Operation Market Garden was all about the Allies taking and holding major road bridges along Hell's Highway throughout Holland during World War II before the Germans could blow up any of the bridges. Well in the game I didn't see one major bridge shown in any missions. There is one small bridge in the game that goes over a small canal but I don't count that. I'm talking about big huge bridges over major rivers. I didn't see any at all. I was really disappointed. Why were there no major road bridges shown in the game? That is what Operation Market Garden was all about.

4. There were lots of different vehicles used during Operation Market Garden by both the Allies and the Germans. In the game, I only saw one kind of Allied tank (Sherman Firefly) used in the game and one kind of German tank (Panzer IV) used. I didn't see any German Panther tanks, Tiger tanks, German Halftracks, German Volkswagen Kubelwagen, etc. I also didn't see any other American tanks or any British tanks of any kind. What is up with that?

5. Not every mission in this game has you play with squads of men. In fact in some of the missions, you fight alone against the Germans. And in some missions you don't fight at all. Running through a building that is on fire is one of them. There is no shooting at all. I thought in every mission I would control squads of men.

This game reminds me a lot of Medal of Honor: Airborne. That game could of been awesome too if it had of been done right. I remember that game went through a lot of delays just like Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway did and it came out about a year later than it was suppose to. Medal of Honor: Airborne was great the first few missions and then it went downhill the last couple of missions. This game is the same way. After playing the game, I'll have to change my rating from 5 stars to 3 stars. Sorry. I just feel this game could of been made better.

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WWII-based shooters seem like a cliche at this point, but Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway stands above the rest. The tone is more like the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, and the game's story follows this same method. This is the first WWII (or any for that matter) FPS that actually doesn't glorify war and doesn't dumb down the entire experience to a one-man-army taking down Nazi Germany by himself. Your squad actually does things. Tactics are actually rewarded while run-and-gun checkpoint racing (like Call of Duty or Medal of Honor) styles are punished severely. The cut-scenes throughout the missions and between the missions provide the depth that is often not in other FPS titles. The game does an excellent job of showing the stresses of war on your character, going as far as to show elements of post-traumatic stress through the game. The tone is hardly positive, which goes with the setting of Operation: Market Garden. Characters die, and there's a feeling of chaos through certain sections of the game. So far, this is one of the best single-player games I've played this year.

The single player mode alone is worth playing through. The multiplayer, however, is not. There's only one mode, and I don't think I've ever seen a full room. While the single player is mindblowing and amazing, this game won't have the legs that other shooters (Call of Duty, Halo, Gears of War, etc) will simply because of the lack of players.

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Great game. Very realistic, but...it will lock you out from your save point without notice. I got two chapters from the end, and could no longer load my save point. Never got to finish the game. Saw similar comments on line about the game losing save points. Be forewarned. You may start the game, but may not ever be able to finish it. No updates available to fix this bug.

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Received the game on time...

I know it's an older game but I have had plenty of fun playing it.

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Well, the game itself is amazing. It's one of the well written and enjoyable games out there. Issue is, I cannot review the limited edition because the people I "Bought" it from only sent the game, not the LE box set. Thankfully it was taken care of, but I digress. can't really review.

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Sunday, January 18, 2015

Best Surf's Up - Xbox 360 Deals

Surf's Up - Xbox 360
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
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This is one of the last video games I ever would have thought to buy. I usually stay away from video games based off kid's movies, especially ones I didn't like all that much. However, while shopping, my wife and I found ourselves playing the game on an xbox 360 demo unit. We had just gotten xbox 360 (as a wedding gift lol) and I told my wife, there are probably much better games 2 player games for us.

Well, I couldn't find much else I thought she'd like, so I bought her Surf's up. I thought it'd be fun for an hour and they we'd both get bored of some glitchy controls or lack of any fun. Surprisingly, the gameplay, while simple (afterall it's for little kids), is great. The controls are tight and the different characters have varied if not distinct feels to them. With a few different goals to reach on each level and over a dozen levels, we're still enjoying the game. The tricks and scoring are a little simple and too easy for most kids even. However, completing a course with a high score and all the gates gets pretty challenging (though you only have to do one or the other).

Besides having more levels, characters, modes, etc. The one thing that really could have made this game 5 stars would have been more complex tricks, ones that don't just require a button press or two and to give extra points for varying your tricks. Then they could raise the highest scoring goal and give the game a little more depth and challenge.

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"Surf's Up" was a surprisingly great movie and my daughters and I loved it. Typically, games based on movies (especially animated features) can be really lame. Fortunately, this one is as terrific as the movie, and a whole lot of fun! It's easy enough that my 7 year old picked up most of the controls right away. But it's got enough challenges and unlockable characters, boards, environments etc. that we're still playing it and finding it exciting weeks after we first got it. I would say that this is not only how a movie game should be done, it's how all games should be done. A great game all around. "A+"

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I bought this game so that my son would have something to play. What I didn't expect is how much I was going to enjoy it. Easy enough that a 5 year old can understand how to play and have fun with it without getting frustrated, and fun enough that his mom will keep playing after he goes to bed.

You really can't ask for much more.

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Very entertaining and fun for kids about 8 to 12. My 9 year old grandson enjoys it tremendously.

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This is a five star rating because this game is fun filled and exciting. It's a "E" for everyone to play and enjoy.

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Sunday, January 11, 2015

Buy Import Tuner Challenge - Xbox 360

Import Tuner Challenge - Xbox 360
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
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To feed my Forza Motorsport 2 hunger, I decided to purchase this game. I'm a big fan of Japanese cars. All my cars are Japanese. Import Tuner focuses on...you guessed it...import cars, mainly Japanese brand carsToyota, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Mazda, and Nissan. People ask..so where's Honda? Licensing issues prevented Genki developers from including Honda.

This game delivers TONS of customizations. You can basically calibrate and modify your car based on parts you buy. However, buying upgrade parts for your car isn't that easy. All upgrade parts are level-based meaning you need to beat a boss or win races against a few rival teams to get a new level of parts to purchase. Parts don't come cheap so just racing one rival after another won't get you the goods you need once you face a fully-modified car. You'll have to go back and find a rival team you already beat and race him over and over until you get enough credit points to purchase the parts.

The game requires a lot of patience since you'll be pitted against every import car. There are two ways of challenging rivals. You either hit the streets and challenge OR you can go to the parking area and challenge racers there. To beat the game, you'll have to challenge both street racers and those who hangout by the parking lot.

The tracks are based on real highways in Japan. All the the highways have been faithfully recreated in this game. Now...since this is a race along freeway, you won't be using much of your drifting skills here since you won't find any hairpin turns. Most of the turns are like the Exit ramps you take on our Interstate highways here in the US. This should give you an idea on what's in store for you. Majority of the tracks here are straightways, a few exit ramps turns will test your turning skills. Don't be fooled though. You'll be faced with traffic on the highways. There will trucks and cars driving merrily along the highway while you're speeding at 200mph. The traffic will sharpen your skills on avoidance and overtaking. The game is quite tough on errors you make. You hit a car or a railing and chances are the rival driver will be right on your tail.

There are two modes of races here: SP battles and Time Attack. SP battles are like health meters. The farther the rival is ahead of you, the faster your health meter goes down. You hit a railing or a car and that penalizes your SP meter. The object of SP battle is to run your rival's SP meter dry. That means you'll have to outrace him or punish him by trapping him on a lane where a slow moving vehicle is right in front of him and then you accelerate at high speed to leave him behind. You can use traffic to your advantage by nudging the rival car on the side and pushing him towards an embankment. I know it's bad but hey...you gotta win by any means necessary. Time attack on the other hand is simply a race to the finish line. Why it's called Time attack just boggles the mind. This game was made in Japan so expect some translation hiccups here and there. Poorly translated Japanese terms abound in this game so expect to see weird rival names like Betelguese of the Night, Mundane Omnipotent, Cornering Opera, Mundane Zeus, Astellion Flower, and my favorite... Cat X Cat.

Graphics was where I was a bit disappointed. Genki didn't use the full power of the Xbox360. Somehow it didn't look quite next-gen to me. Also, there are horrible frame rate issues. The game just grinds to a stuttering frame rate when you have three or four rivals on screen. There are a few drawing issues as well. Sometimes, while driving, you'll notice that there's just a black empty space at the end of the ramp. Fear not, the game suffers from redrawing issues. But these issues shouldn't deter you from playing this game. AI is something that's a so-so. You will find rivals who drive like Ms. Daisy or sometimes against a rival who drives like Mario Andretti, Nicki Lauda, and Colin McRae. Most of the AI seem to be afraid to take the risk of making sharp turns at full speed. They seem to brake quite a few meters too far from the turn's entry point. As a result, you can easily take advantage of this and cut in front of them.

So...what's a good gaming tip here. Like any other tuner games, there are three things you need to focus on to win in this game: SPEED, WEIGHT, AND HANDLING. That means you need to upgrade your engine, your body, and your suspension. Don't dwell too much on making your car look like Fast and Furiousque. Concentrate first on winning a few races and invest on the three main aspects of the car. ANy part that will make your car 100lbs heavier should be compensated by a body upgrade that will make it lighter. I've beaten this game by using just one car.

Here's what I did: I purchased the Nissan Fairlady (fastest among the cheapest starter cars). I raced the hell out of it and upgraded it. Then I began challenging several rivals over and over again till I was winning 500K credit points per race. Once I got to about 4 million credit points, I bought my favorite and possibly the fastest tuner car in the game: Mitsubishi Evolution IX. I then sold my Fairlady and then upgraded the engine to the highest possible level I could get. Slowly I began upgrading the three main aspects of the car. By the time I got to about 80% of game completion, I was beating every car and rival I was up against. The Mitsubishi Evolution is by far the best tuner car I have ever dealt with, be it Forza Motorsport or Import Tuner. Try the Evolution and win every race.

In closing, this game is highly recommended. It has it's own technical issues but the fun factor is definitely in the game. Go for it.

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This game is made by the same company that produced the Tokyo Extreme Racer series. The game play is exactly like TXR, expect the controls are a little bit tighter than they were in the previous installments of the game. The graphics in the game are very well done, but they are not next gen graphics. There is only about 10 or so cars in the game but hundreds of upgrades. The level of customization is unbeleiveable. You can cusotmize every thing from the height of the car to what the steering wheel look like. The reason I rated the game 5 starts is because the game is so much fun to play. There is no story line in the game; the main focus is to race and beat all of your rivals. All of the reviews that compare this game to Need for Speed: Underground are very misleading because Import tuner is totally different than NFSU. NFSU is an arcade sim aimed at the mass market where Import tuner is aimed at a small niche of racing fans.

If you have ever played any of TXR series you will love this game, if not you might want to rent it first.

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This game has recieved absolutely no hype. I walked into EB a few days before the game's release to preorder, and no one there had even heard of it. Usually when that happens, a game has been rushed through development, is released prematurely, and as a result, the game blows.

That is not the case here.

Import Tuner Challenge is effectively the next in the line of Shutokou Battle or Tokyo Xtreme Racer (henceforth referred to as TXR) games. However, it's received a change of name, and was produced by Ubisoft instead of Crave. This has led to a few minor changes to the game. First off, this looks MUCH better than any of the previous TXR games. It won't blow a game like Test Drive Unlimited out of the water, but it's certainly a step up from NFS:MW or Ridge Racer 6. The streets of Tokyo are beautifully recreated here. The cars are well-rendered, all high-poly models. The lighting effects are up there with the best of the racing games. As far as sound goes, the techno racing tunes are uninspired, but work for the game. While I believe that the music was well-chosen for the game, I could wholly understand someone disliking it very much. Really, though, the highlight here is the sound of the cars. As you spend time upgrading your car's engine and exhaust, you can hear a difference with every little change you make. You start out with a quiet machine, and after just a few upgrades, you can hear the turbo whirring and the sounds of the wastegate. This is just extraordinarily cool for the real gearheads. To some people, this may mean nothing. However, I find it quite refreshing to hear a car sound similar to how it would in real life.

For those who haven't played a TXR game before, you're probably wondering HOW DOES IT PLAY? so I'll get to that now. The formula is simple: race, make money, upgrade car, race, buy new car, race, win money, race, ad nauseum. Sounds simple, right? It's a very basic game structure, but it works quite well. The way it's set up makes it very addictive. I personally logged over 28 hours of gameplay in the first 3 days I owned the game, and missed many a class. If you play this game, you WILL find yourself trying to find every minute possible to race and upgrade your car. This is because of the tuning system, which, while not quite on par with TXR 2 on Dreamcast or TXR 0 on PS2, is better than any other Xbox 360 game, bar none. This blows Need for Speed Most Wanted out of the water.

However, it's not for everyone. If you want to simply upgrade a car with the press of a button, take it out on the street, and beat every race without any trouble, buy Need for Speed Most Wanted. It's a solid game. That said, if you truly want a game that allows you to tune every aspect of your car, this is for you.

Plusses and minuses:

+Addictive gameplay

+Long game-should take at least 50 hours to beat

+Beautiful graphics

+Incredible tuning options

+amazing sense of speed

-Some may find the formulaic gameplay to get old

-For the first hour or so, it feels different from TXR

I'm sure this game won't get the respect that it deserves, but if you're looking for an in-depth tuning and racing game for the X360, this is for you.

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i like this game alot. lots of stuff can be done to the cars. and the inside the car driving view is cool.

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A decent game if you are into this type of racer.

Having played Tokyo Highway Battle PS1, Tokyo Extreme Racer 1 and 2 Dreamcast, and Tokyo Extreme Racer Zero and Tokyo Extreme Racer 3 I am a fan. It is the same people that made it. Ignore the cheesy title.

Let's talk about the bad:

Much less cars. Like about 15 (seriously). They left out a lot of cars. The series was much better when they did not have licensed cars. The selection and variety was awesome.

The graphics aren't great for what it should be. Looks more like a last generation game. This must be played on the best resolution as possible.

There is no vibration feedback for the controller at all and using a wheel there is definitely no force feedback.

Some routes are missing in this game.

The online community is pretty much dead.

Overall you can tell that these guys were lazy. It could have been much better. So much potential thrown away.

As for the good it plays just like their previous games. It is much better than TXR3 because the civilian cars have returned (the worst in the series IMO). The physics have improved. The livery editor is not good at all but better than nothing. The appearance modifications are great. There is a cockpit view. Sense of speed is good. The graphics are the best in the series. The feel and flavor is still there.

Previous fans will like this. This is a like or hate affair. I would not say love just because they got lazy and left so much out and took a step backwards.

This is probably the most real street racing you can get without being tacky like other street racing games. Although the names given and car crews and members names are funny in a good way. If you like Japanese cars and roll racing this is it.

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Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Review of USB Gaming Receiver For PC Windows 7 Xbox 360 and Slim Wireless

USB Gaming Receiver For PC Windows 7 Xbox 360 and Slim Wireless Controller Pad Black
Customer Ratings: 3 stars
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Product is not for windows 7, luckily I found a backdoor to getting a driver and making it work. The disk it comes with does not work and it will not upgrade on its own.

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Monday, November 10, 2014

Saints Row IV Review

Saints Row IV
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $47.09
Today's Bonus: 22% Off
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This is a single player critical review for people that are fans of the Saints Row series of games. I know the game is called Saints Row IV but I will call it Saints Row 3.5 since it does not feel like a whole new game.

A quick little bit of info here... Saints Row IV started off as DLC before THQ shut down, it was originally meant to be the final big DLC add-on (us older gamers would call it an "Expansion" pack) to Saints Row 3. THQ went bankrupt and Volition was bought up by Deep Silver. They took the final DLC, the core game, and stretched it out into a full game. I also wish I could give it a score of 3.5 but it feels good enough to go with 4 out of 5 for the moment.

So to be clear, this game is still Saints Row 3. Same city, same vehicles (less of them though), same graphics, same game engine. Just certain things added or taken away.

This game is absurdly fun and funny. So let me break it down as spoiler free as possible:

Game engine: The exact same as Saints Row 3.

Graphics and Models: Deep Silver took some vehicles and assets from the previous games and reworked them to the wonderful level of detail seen in the First Saints Row game, mainly the vehicles. They have a much higher level of fit and finish than even Saints Row 2 had. BUT, there are fewer vehicles in this game than in any of the other games. Boats are completely gone, so waterways are absolutely empty. Only 2-3 Airplanes remain and there is no civilian air traffic, though once you see the plot, it kind of makes sense to be that way as opposed to the same lack of boat and air traffic from SR3. The animation and characters are much nicer looking and seem to have had a once over by Quality Control. So all round the models are much nicer.

Sound and Music: The sound effects are pretty much the same from SR3. The music on the other hand is absolutely great, they have just about everything, and lots of big name songs. The voice acting is wonderful, even Nolan North (of Drake, Deadpool and seemingly every male video game character ever made, fame) lends his voice to the player character list, along with quite a few name brand voice and film actors as other characters... The roster is rather impressive and makes the game all the more fun.

Story: The story in this game is much more fun and involving than SR3 was. You will need to play all the previous Saints Row games to understand the back stories, banter, and in-jokes of many of the characters in this game. Plenty of "OMG!" moments, and lots of laughs. There is some great character development and banter that was sorely missing from SR3. Though at times it feels the game/writers spent too much time watching cyberpunk and action movies from the 90s and early 2000s instead of creating something entirely new. It was great fun, and worth seeing all the parodies of other games and movies, but at times the parodies feel more like blatant rip-offs. Also, the Choice/RPG style options are pretty much entirely gone after the first few minutes of the game and are there for comical reasons instead of giving you any rewards or boosts of any type. Example: In SR3 you could choose to destroy a building for a respect boost or keep the building for a cash boost, save someone or let someone die, and so on.

Player Customization: The level of visual player customization is the same as SR3 and nowhere near as amazing as the player character customization from SR2. Though carried over from SR3 is the selectable player upgrades/leveling system.

Vehicle Customization: The same as SR3 but with quite a few more parts and accessories for some vehicles, though you still cannot customize "special" vehicles, planes, helicopters, and VOTLs. Though for a game with cars and car customization it severely lacks in vehicle based missions compared to previous games as most of the time you are running, jumping, shooting, and fighting with super powers, instead of driving or riding shotgun like previous games.

Weapon Customization: Weapons have non-visual upgrades now instead of the visual upgrades like from SR3 (when you upgrade a weapon, it does not change its base appearance with things likes scopes or suppressors and such that SR3 had). Though you can change the "skin" of the weapon to look like other types of weapons and most have 1-3 selectable paint jobs, but you cannot add or remove parts of a weapon.

Other Customizations: Cribs/player bases are completely gone so absolutely none there. Gang customization is the same as SR3.

Game World: Still in Steelport, or a simulation of so to speak, exact same map size and most every location remains the same as SR3 just add some cyber bits here and there. Also, during the game it is perpetually Night/dawn/dusk/dark and there is no day cycle until you completely beat the game. The city doesn't really feel as "alive" as SR2 did, but when you figure out the plot it makes a bit more sense to be that way.

Super Powers: While they are fun, and have lots of upgrades, it ends up feeling too much like the game "Prototype" and not enough like Saints Row. Most of the game vehicles become pretty much pointless when you can leap, climb, fly, and run better than nearly any vehicle in the game rather early on.

Controls: It controls nicely and has the exact same layout as SR3, though with the super powers, some buttons now have secondary functions when you hold them or tap them.

Game play: You will go everywhere from space, to text adventures, to 2D fighters, to top down pixel battles, to platforming, robot fights, and more. The variation keeps things interesting, at least on a first play through. There is even a massive list of cheat codes built into the game as well to make the game even more fun, crazy, hard, or easy. So it works if you are a casual gamer or one of the hardcore challenging types of players. There are optional side missions that are basically just activity completions and rewards. There are no activities left over after doing the character "side quests" so at that point the end game just becomes a run around and collect random stuff/points you missed kind of thing. You can replay activities for money or better medals, but There is still no main mission or special character mission replay options... We had it in SR2 why can't it be in SR3.5?

Re-play Value: As with most the Saints Row and open world games, it is pretty high in the re-play department. With the amount of character and vehicle customization, as well as upgrades, it is worth revisiting to see what can be changed or done differently on another play-through. Not to mention the amount of in-jokes, Easter eggs, and other things that you may have missed.

Overall Opinion: This game is much more fun than SR3 was, but still not as much fun and time consuming as SR2 is for me. It has more polish than SR3 did, and I hope the future of Saints Row gets much bigger than Steelport or Stilwater combined as the map just feels small compared to many other games out there, especially when you have super powers. My biggest gripe is that it needs more side activities and player customization. In SR2 most side activities had 6-12 levels to them, whereas SR 3.5 has about 2-4 levels or so to each activity (seriously, we want more Genki and mayhem levels!). They still have not added back in the optional service vehicle activities and rewards (taxi cab, tow truck, ambulance, fire truck, police car, police helicopter, and so on that SR2 had). Still no "Fuzz", "Septic Avenger", "Demo Derby" and so on. There is a distinct lack of vehicle races as well. If you are going to give us all these customizable vehicles; give us something to do with them.

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BOTTOM LINE:

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It is a stupidly fun game, but many times felt too much like the game "Prototype" and not enough like Saints Row. The absurdity has been turned up to 11.5 and had the knob broken off, so don't buy this game thinking it will have an award winning plot or basis in reality in any way what-so-ever. (And that can be a good thing as games are meant to be fun to play. That is why they are called games and not movies.) The vehicles and player models seem much more polished over SR3 with the wonderful detail that was put into the first Saints Row game. The voice acting makes it worth replaying, as the different player character voices have different things to say throughout each play-through. Goofing around and being a completionist and rabid customizer will take around 20-30+ hours depending on how much of a "collector" you are. Throw in Co-op craziness and extend that time quite a bit more. (playing Telekinesis catch with a car or baddie, racing, cat and mouse, Vs, and so on.) It is just a fun and silly sand-box game and not for people that take things too seriously, and if you have a twisted sense of humor, make sure this game ends up in your collection.

I say wait till it is more "expansion pack" priced, under $35 before getting it as I just could not get over the feeling it was an expansion and not a whole new game, since super powers were already introduced in SR3 add on content. Plus with the amount of DLC planned for this game, even if you get it cheap, you will likely end up paying full price or more anyway once Deep Silver finishes nickel-and-diming people for DLC for the rest of this game.

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After the amazing spectacle that was Saints Row The Third, I was incredibly excited to see Volition take the series a step further into the purely ludicrous. Unfortunately, Saints Row IV simply can't shake the fact that it started as a DLC add-on to its predecessor and as a result fails to deliver a memorable experience of its own.

As the story begins, the Saints are now in the White House with your titular main character taking the role of Commander in Chief. Not soon thereafter aliens invade and place the Saints in a Matrix-style computer simulation where most of the game takes place. This simulation is a virtual recreation of Steelport from SR3, and IV disappointingly brings nothing new to the table by way of setting. Not only is it the exact same layout from before, the entirety of the game takes place at night. Steelport didn't have a ton of personality to begin with, and shrouding the city in darkness certainly doesn't help that fact.

One of the primary selling points for Saints Row IV is the superpowers that you incrementally learn through the course of the game. It doesn't take long at all before you're sprinting faster than a race car, scaling buildings in a single bound, and shooting fireballs from your fingertips. The whole thing feels ripped right out of Prototype and Crackdown (complete with orbs scattered throughout the city to improve your abilities), and it's appropriately fun to fling yourself through the Steelport skyline at 100mph. However, the superpowers quickly become a double-edged sword.

As soon as you get your increased mobility, there is absolutely no reason to drive a car again. In fact, there's hardly a reason to touch the ground again. The entire bottom-half of the world is forgotten as you bound from one objective to the other. So on top of the uninteresting setting shrouded in darkness, the game actively encourages you to only traverse the even less interesting building tops throughout your travels.

It seems like Volition realized this, so the game is peppered with constant and arbitrary reasons for you to lose your superpowers. These seem forced (because they are), and it's unfortunate that better reasons couldn't be found to keep your feet on the ground.

After all the powers run their course, however, Saints Row IV doesn't have much else to say. The story is needlessly stretched to full game length by repetitive missions and an over-emphasis on side-mission activities. What story there is doesn't hold water, either. I'd be lying if I said I didn't laugh often while playing SR IV, but it chooses to focus far too heavily on waxing nostalgic over providing a satisfying narrative. Everything follows a predictable path, and what should have been an epic clash to send off the series with a bang ends up being a redundant slog that presents its finale with a whimper.

The humor in Saints Row has always been one of its strongest suits, but even here things have taken a downturn. It seems like Volition has forgotten the difference between parody and reference, and as a result falls into the Matt Hazard trap of simply recreating tired video game tropes and then calling them out. It's the developers wanting to have their cake and eat it too, exploiting lazy design shortcuts (an overabundance of fetch quests comes to mind) and hoping to get away with it by pointing out how bad it is. This problem is pushed to its derivative limits through your spaceship and crew, which is a shameless rip off of the entire structure of Mass Effect 2 without even trying to be funny about it.

This is all irritating on its own, but the myriad of bugs and glitches were enough to send me over the edge. Throughout my playthrough, I encountered no less than 4 game breaking bugs which caused be to restart from a checkpoint or reboot the console entirely. From scripted events not triggering to NPC characters getting stuck in the game world to full on crashes, the entire experience felt sloppy and unstable. And no, the fact that it's set in a computer simulation is not an adequate excuse.

In the end, I feel that Saints Row IV would have been better staying as the DLC pack "Enter the Dominatrix" for a budget price. The recycled content, lackluster story and half-hearted execution make it impossible to recommend at the full $60 price point, even for die hard Saints Row fans.

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First of all, I'd like to point out that I have played all the games in the Saints Row series. It started off as a copy cat to GTA. Then, it became less serious than GTA and added more humor. This fourth one moves away from the regular gang versus gang type of story and adds a twist by adding amazing superhero abilities. Before I purchased this, I told myself not to judge it immediately and to give it a try since I knew the game had superhero abilities and more silly stuff.

After playing it for a few hours, I was having tons of fun. There are a lot of things to do, and now that you have superhero abilities, you can do whatever you feel like doing. Use telekinesis, race around running at super speed, jump from a skyscraper and bring wrath to your enemies with a "death from above" nuclear explosion. I enjoyed the storyline. Everything about it made sense. It wasn't like they came up with ridiculously crazy stuff and did not have an explanation for it. I also enjoyed hanging out with your homies and the option to romance them(LOL). Got a thing for Shaundi or Gat? Go for it. Hahaha. It was fun to chat with your homies and bring the fight to your enemies with superpowers or funky weapons. Believe...there are plenty of FUNKY weapons. I won't spoil too much, but you'll definitely have tons of fun with them.

Moreover, if you enjoy games that have references from music, movies, or video games...this is definitely for you. I could not help but laugh at all the funny video game references throughout the game. As with the other games, you're still able to customize your character and your crew. I wish they had added something to customize your ship, but since you're at war, I guess there is no time for that. The graphics are an improvement from the past games, and the soundtrack is great.

I have no regrets in purchasing this. If you want a serious game about gang versus gang type of story, this may not be for you. But, if you enjoy sarcasm, other types of humor, and twists, this is your game. My only real pet peeve is that some of the side quests get a bit repetitive, not all of them, but some. I wish there had been more diversity with the side quests.

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This game is fun as hell I'm not gonna lie. The bad part about it is that there are not a whole lot of main missions, but there are a lot of side missions. These side missions though just have you going around and doing the same things over and over again though which is where it just gets boring and tedious. Also this just feels like a very expensive DLC for saints row three with them using the same map. The super powers are a nice touch and fun to mess with though. I would wait til the price goes down before buying it.

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As any Saints game there are flaws, glitches, and so on but it doesn't matter at all. It's not very often I find myself laughing out loud and at a game but Saints Row IV as all other Saints games delivers the laughs. Leaping over buildings, sprinting super sonic speeds down the streets, freezing enemies and shattering them, the over all package is very enjoyable. I must admit a lot of the game seems to be rehashed from Saints 3. Cars, customization options, map, and so on are more of the same. Again, none of this matters. Everything is so over the top and fun you won't notice the flaws. At least I didn't. I recommend Saints Row 4 for fans of GTA, Crackdown, Prototype, and the lot, flaws aside.

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Sunday, November 9, 2014

Reviews of Test Drive Unlimited 2 - Xbox 360

Test Drive Unlimited 2 - Xbox 360
Customer Ratings: 3 stars
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I will start off by saying I was a big fan of the first Test Drive Unlimited because it had a huge open world environment to drive around in, a big selection of cars, and good driving physics that were somewhere between arcade and simulation. The graphics in TDU weren't great but it was just plain fun to play.

Now we finally have the long awaited sequel and sadly it is not an improvement over the first TDU. Like the first game it's not intended to be a simulation racing game. I understand this and didn't expect it to be. What I did expect though was that they would have at least delivered the same if not a better experience. Unfortunately this is not the case. I feel it is fair to compare it to the first game because this is a sequel after all.

DRIVING PHYSICS:

This is my biggest issue with the game. In the first TDU each car had unique characteristics of speed, acceleration, braking, cornering ability, and an overall feeling of weight. It was not super realistic but it wasn't silly either, for example you couldn't make 90 degree turns at top speeds. It gave the feeling of speed but still you had to make sure not to go faster than the car could handle. This is simply not the case in TDU2. Most of the cars handle pretty much the same, poorly. There seems to be only a difference of speed, acceleration and braking between cars but they all handle about the same, and there is no feeling of weight. Among different cars in the same class they all corner about the same. Also doing almost anything can make your car spin out, even while traveling on a straight road. If you turn just a little too much you can lose control of the car. If you slightly graze anything you can lose control of the car. Sometimes though you can hit a wall at a sharper angle and it pops you right off it sending you on your merry way the direction you started. It's also hard to regain control of your car even if you fishtail a little, with each steering correction you make actually making it worse. I don't know why they did this to the driving physics and didn't just build upon what they had from the first TDU, or even just reuse it for this game unchanged.

GRAPHICS:

There is some better news in this department. The scenery and character graphics are actually improved over the first game. The islands really look nice and that makes it fun to explore. Your character looks a little better than the first game also although it's not stellar. The cars on the other hand look a little bland and flat. The cars don't really pop or look very shiny even when they are clean. Your cars now also accumulate dirt, dings and scratches too, which can be fixed by going to a car wash where some scantily clad ladies come out and wash your car by hand. Also you can just put your car in the garage or start an event it it pops back to pristine condition as if by magic. Overall for just driving around and exploring I would say the graphics are an improvement over the first TDU.

SOUND:

The sound is also a letdown. The engine sounds are certainly louder than the first game, maybe too loud. The car engines don't sound very realistic. You could drive a certain car in Forza than drive the same exact one if it's available in this game and easily tell the difference. Also when you run into things it just sounds like taking a metal trash can lid and smashing it against something, no matter what you run into. The off-road sounds aren't much better. Sometimes it reminds me of the sound of chewing on Grape Nuts cereal. The radio is kind of limited like the first game and the music is not particularly thrilling to me but that's a matter of taste. It's not like the first game had great sound either but this is not an improvement.

GAME PLAY:

This game concentrates much more on your character and other social aspects than the first game did. Besides being able to buy houses and clothing for you character you can now also visit a hair salon and get cosmetic surgery so you can completely change your look. Many of the same features from the first game are back such as races against other player in set spots around the island or instant challenges against people you meet in the game world by just flashing your headlights at them. Also there are clubs to form or join and club events just like the first game, as well as custom events you can set up.

The biggest change to the game though is the addition of off-road events and vehicles. This is the area of the game that I feel was the best change. These events can be fun and give you the ability to easily explore the countryside. You can purchase off-road vehicles like Hummers or Land Rovers. They handle differently off-road than on asphalt, which makes sense but once again they all handle pretty much the same compared to each other. The only real difference between the off-road vehicles is their speed, acceleration and braking.

As for the world itself it's pretty much the same as the first game. You can drive pretty much anywhere you want to and explore all you want. This was the charm of the first game in my opinion and why I liked it so much. TDU2 though now has two islands to explore, Hawaii again and now Ibiza. As for the events it's handled differently than the first game. Instead of unlocking events and then picking and choosing which ones you want to do in any order this game has a more linear feel to it. You have championship events that consist of a series of smaller events worth points, finish in first place in the end and you will unlock more. Also there are random events like the first game, such as picking up someone and driving them somewhere within a time limit. These events aren't permanent though and have a time limit on how long they are available, which can be seen in the map, before they disappear and new ones pop up elsewhere. This can be annoying if you haven't previously explored that part of the map because you won't be able to instantly start it, you'll have to drive there and may not get to it in time. Also your contacts will frequently call you, telling you to go somewhere or do something. Overall the game seems to want to hold you hand through the whole process.

BUGS:

Sadly, at least as of the date this review is posted, this game is pretty buggy. There have been some issues with the servers although that can be excused, at least for now, since a lot of games have this same issue at first. I have had issues with the leaderboards not working properly. When I first log in I will do an event and my name and position on the leaderboards will show. Then every event after that it won't work. My name and position do not show properly and if I scroll manually to the position where I should be my name isn't listed at all. I've also noticed issues with sound going out occasionally. This especially seems to be the case when going from off-road to asphalt and hitting some objects. The sounds will go out for a few seconds then come back. I have read there are also issues with trying to form or join a club, causing the game to lock up but I haven't experimented with this myself. Players are reporting other issues also, which you can read about yourself if you go to the game website's forums.

CONCLUSION:

Compared to the first TDU I'd have to say this game is a disappointment. It is better in some aspects, such as the scenery graphics and the addition of off-road content, but it is a big let down in the department of sound, bugs, and most importantly driving physics. The game is named Test DRIVE Unlimited 2 after all, with the main focus being on driving. Making the driving physics worse really takes a lot away from the game. It can be fun exploring the huge world, buying nice cars, houses and clothing (if you're into that), but just getting through events can be annoying with the clunky handling the cars have. You will have to retry events a number of times because your car so easily loses control. Overall it's not a worthy sequel and I had more fun with the first TDU, which is a superior game. If you loved the first game this one may really make you mad, so you may want to rent it before you buy. Unfortunately there is no demo as of yet on Xbox Live. If you've never played the first game and want a fun, open world driving game, find a copy of the first TDU instead of buying this one.

I gave the game 2 stars because of the horrible driving physics and bugs. They may fix these issues in patches someday but I have to rate the game in the condition it is now, not how it might be in the future.

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I really did want to like this game more than I do. TDU1 was a lot of fun, and the concept is great. The feature list is impressive, too. More character and house customization, rain and night driving, two islands to explore, better graphics.

But the two things that make this frustrating are bugs and the difficulty of making money.

The bugs are pretty bad: servers down, clubs disabled, oh...and corrupting the game save. Yes, I started over from scratch after losing my saved game. Seems to be okay now, but I keep backups on a flash drive. I'm not totally pessimistic about this since patches will come out (check forums before buying for the status of these before buying).

My second gripe is the same problem that plagues GT5: not enough ways to make money. After winning the championships, you can't win the grand prize money again, and there aren't an overwhelming number of events. You can repeat individual races, but the most you'd get is about 20k. High end houses and cars are well into the millions.

The cars' handling is kind of goofy, but I don't hold that against this game. I don't consider this a sim and I've gotten used to it. It can be fun to do handbrake turns, and just cruising around is this game's best part.

One nice addition is the FRIM system. It helps you make a little money while just cruising around. You'll get a few hundred for near misses, drifts or jumps.

I'm still giving this game a chance, hoping it will get better as I collect enough money and cars over time, but since I don't have the hours in a day for the grinding needed I don't expect to have all the cars I'd like.

EDIT: Bumped up the rating to four stars. After playing for a while, I keep going back. It's fun. And most of the bugs that got me were patched.

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I Played TDU1 extensively and really enjoyed it. So much so that I pre-ordered the second version and could hardly wait for it to arrive. But unfortunately the second hasn't lived up to the legacy of the first. Annoying cut scenes and poor voice acting are forgivable in a racing game, but poor driving physics are not.

The first struck a good compromise between acessability and realism. TDU 2 fails to approach either and the cars handling is truly bizarre. they are on rails until you attempt to take a 90 degree corner at which point if any throttle is in the car will promptly fishtail. Ferrari or starter Mustang it seems to make no difference. All sharp bends must be taken at about the same speed. And funnily enough if you attempt to counter steer the car enters an uncontrollable tank slapper. It really doesn't matter how you enter the corner or apply the power. Also all cars seem to handle roughly the same. No real difference in a lightweight Italian hypercar and a lumbering Aston. No increased twitchiness or responsiveness, just a difference in cornering speed which equates roughly to their rating in the car dealership.

I'm not expecting Forza or GT quality driving dynamics. But something that resembles how a car handles would be nice.

It's a shame because the islands are beautiful and the online component is just as compelling as the first time around. But the core of the game, driving and racing is just poor.

If you are interested in this game I suggest sourcing a used copy of TDU1. You will be a lot more satisfied.

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I became a fan of the Test Drive series after playing the first TDU game. An open world racer where you could buy any car, any house or change the look of your character in any way. The second game takes the first experience and expands on it.

What I like about TDU2 is that now you have access to two islands (Hawaii & Ibiza), your character and your houses are more custimizable. There is also more challenges and more cars for you to choose from, but what I like most about TDU2 is that anyone can pick it up and play it without being a ''hardcore'' racing gamer. I also like that it is a social game where you can invite friends with you on a joy ride or to your own house.

Unlike other racing titles, you don't need to be the greatest driver. In fact, you don't have to get involved in the main story arc (Solar Crown Championship), you could simply explore and admire the detail of the islands (can we say begining of virtual tourism?).

The only flaws I can think of is when I first bought it, my saved data was erased, but other than that, nothing unusual has happened. I also don't like that you're limited to what you can do within your own home. For instance, you can buy any home with a pool, billiards table or even a yacht yet you can't do anything in your home except walk around and sit on the couch, so what's the point of buying an expensive home?

Basically, Test Drive Unlimited 2 is like the first game only with more options. I have literally spent hours just discovering every road on Ibiza alone and have only yet to scratch the surface of Hawaii! So if you liked the first TDU, I don't see why you wouldn't like this one. And if you have never played the first one, I recommend trying TDU2 out anyway because I'm confident you'll get your moneys worth.

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I really enjoyed the first TDU and so I've been waiting for TDU2 for quite awhile. When the release was postponed in the fall of 2010 for 6 months I figured that was okay and just waited it out.

Having played the game quite a bit over the past week I have to say that it is probably THE single most buggy XBOX game I have ever played personally. The number of times it has hung my console alone is kind of staggering. Add to that non-crashing issues like truly bizarre collision detection issues, horrible scenery pop-in, and multi-player glitches and I can't really say that I could recommend this to anyone as the game stands today. I shudder to think how bad it must have been six months ago for the original release date.

If you were a huge fan of the first game and have a LOT of patience for all of the problems in the game as it stands there's a lot to enjoy, but buyer beware on this one.

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Saturday, October 4, 2014

Xbox 360 Rock Band 3 Wireless Fender Precision Bass Controller Review

Xbox 360 Rock Band 3 Wireless Fender Precision Bass Controller - Seafoam Green
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
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This controller is a great addition to the Rock Band games! My husband had been wanting it for a long time, and I finally decided to purchase it. I couldn't be more pleased and it is worth every penny!

Upon opening the box, I was very impressed with the appearance. The body is decent size and the neck is very long, which makes it look and feel real. When compared to the small Guitar Hero controllers, it is almost twice the size.

Getting used to the double strum bar takes some time and was a bit frustrating at first, but if you enjoy playing bass on the game, it presents a new challenge. Once you get the hang of the new finger coordination, it makes bass playing easier. It keeps your fingers from getting tired as quickly. It also helps you achieve those game challenges that require bass playing with "all up-strums."

The only complaint I have, and it's minor, is that this bass lacks a whammy bar, which has been replaced with a nob. It's not as easy as the bar, and is difficult to reach in a hurry.

Overall, this was a great purchase and I recommend it to all avid Rock Band fans!

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Even after reading reviews about this guitar controller I was impressed when I received it. The fit and finish are superb and the responsiveness of the fret keys and the strum bar are top notch. It pairs easily with the system, is comfortable to use and accurately reproduces the experience of using real bass. If you're serious about Rock Band -and, I admit, we are -then you can't go wrong with the Fender instruments.

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Many people have now used this bass instrument at my place. From first-timers to seasoned experts, they all say the same thing: The split strummer and small fixed block just above, where you can rest your thumb, are awesome! In fact, many of us now play the normal guitar instrument in this fashion just because it's easier (but the normal guitar doesn't have the thumb rest). The unit is light weight, cheap plastic, and smaller than an actual bass but it works great.

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Didn't know what to expect as I have never purchased this type of thing before. But I must say, the quality and appearance of this Bass controller are excellent!

Xbox 360 Rock Band 3 Wireless Fender Precision Bass Controller White

I have had it for 3 weeks now, and it has received plenty of use in that time already. (daily)

The split strumming bar make it effortless to play the more difficult bass lines in Rock Band 3, using two separate fingers. Also includes a jack to plug in a pedal that is used instead of tipping the neck up.

I like it so much, I just bought the guitar & mic stand. (don't want to leave it lying around).Universal Guitar and Mic Stand

I also intend to get another guitar from Amazon/MadKatz. Xbox 360 Rock Band 3 Wireless Fender Telecaster Player's Edition Gunmetal

I definitely recommend this product!

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was excited to recieve guitar, but upon opening item and attempting to connect to console, was quickly disappointed. Guitar will not connect to xbox console. Spent over two hours with tech support and unable to have any remedy proposed. Guitar is simply defective. Unfortunately, the kids were too excited and threw away the packaging, so now I am stuck with a defective guitar that doesn't work and I can't return it for a refund. Very disappointed in the product.

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Monday, September 29, 2014

Discount Pink buttons, D-pad, Start/Back, Thumbstick set for Playstation 3

Pink buttons, D-pad, Start/Back, Thumbstick set for Playstation 3 controller Custom mod
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
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They Work Well with The Controller the Only Thing To expect Is The PS Button To Be Lower and You Have To Push It a Little More Than normal Also One o the Analog Sticks were A Bit Hard to Push Through The Analog Shift . Great Deal on Buttons Though !

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Friday, September 26, 2014

Buy ESPN College Hoops 2K5

ESPN College Hoops 2K5
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $14.79
Sale Price: $10.77
Today's Bonus: 27% Off
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Gameplay is RIGHT ON!!

Finally. This game is on the mark. My point of view is from legacy mode. Legacy mode is when you start out as a coach of a small school (I chose Western Illinois), and compete.

You scout your own high school talents. You visit them at home. You call them. They visit you. You are given scholarships to offer. You decide what your team will practice on. Offense. Defense. Shooting. Post play. All ON A DAILY BASIS!! If you decide to fly to New York to visit a player. You will be absent from practice for a couple of days, leaving your assistants in charge... or visa versa.

Gameplay is realistic as it comes. Shooting percentages ring true. Free throw shooting is realistic. Comes down to timing each individual shooters style of shooting.

I started out the season with a very tough schedule and I'm very good with ESPN COLLEGE HOOPS GAMES. Control are similar to previous games which I've owned. Right off the bat, I played the Iowa Hawkeyes... I hung with them for awhile... it was hard, but I did... it was close at halftime... but then my team ran out of gas and Iowa became very tough to stop. VERY REALISTIC!!

As Western Illinois... I played the number 2 team in the country 2 games later... and lost badly... again... REALISTIC... 106-65.

As the season has gone along... I, as the head coach, decided my team needed much work on defense... therefore, I garnered my practices as such. I work extra hard on defense... and to my much impressed surprise... my team improved in that area. I started off the season 2-6... then 4-8... and have won 11 straight to finish off the season 15-8.

This game rocks!! If you like realism in your college basketball game... this one is it!! Hands down. And belive me... I've been searching for this very thing.

You feel like a coach, and in my point of view... you feel like an underdog when you're Western Illinois.

Not to mention... look at the price!! Snatch this up and don't listen to these kids who are criticizing really dumb things. By the way... the announcing is very good. Sometimes it is off, a little, but other times they say some really cool and insightful things, sometimes even making you go... "Wow. It's as if this announcer is really watching my game.

UPDATE: A couple of flaws I've noticed is that the officiating is very anger inducing. They'll call charging on you when the guy is obviously running right along side you. You'll go up to shoot and the ball will be blocked out of bounds by a defender... and it's called out of bounds on YOU!! Everytime.

These are small errors. They'll make you angry... but what official doesn't.

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In reading the negative reviews, most of them are from kids, who are under the age of 13. With their attention span less than 10 minutes for everything, do you honestly think they would appriciate the realism of NCAA College hoops or instead flock to the Arcade style of March Madness where you just mash buttons endlessly?

College Hoops takes off where the previous installment left off and builds on each feature. The post play is much improved over last year's title, though executing some moves in the post is frustrating. Turnovers occur more frequently now when you make stupid passes. Balls no longer just "materialize" through defenders to get to the player receiving the pass. If a defender is in the way, the ball is going to bounce off him. You have to make intelligent, on-the-court decisions.

The gameplay may be adjusted with sliders. Personally, I like to make it challenging so games are much more realistic. It isn't fun (or realistic) when you win every game 150-38. If Duke is playing UNC, the game SHOULD be within 10 points. If Duke is playing Radford, well, a blowout SHOULD occur. I like to adjust the sliders to make dunks and layups easy (they are hard on the default setting) and make jump shots a bit more challenging while increasing the defense for both the human and AI. This way, you can play games with realistic scores and stats and feel somewhat satisfied when you play as Creighton and defeat Illinois by 3.

Recruiting is much more advanced than the 2004 title. It is a bit overwhelming at first, but after awhile and a few times doing it, it really grows on you and you realize how much more effective and effecient this version is. You have a pre-determined amount of recruiting points, depending on the size of your school. Small schools have 3000. Mid majors have 4000. Major schools have 5000 (Major schools would include the likes of Fresno State, the A-10 teams like St. Joe and Xavier), and Power schools have 6000 (the big boys like the Big 12 and ACC). Each action you choose to do in recruiting has a point and time value associated with it. Your assistants help you in recruiting if they can, or if they aren't good at it, you don't want them to help. You can email recruits, call them, visit them, scout their games, invite them to your campus, and offer them scholarships. But unlike last year, you can do this all season long during the recruiting period. You can visit a player up to 6 times and you can call him always, limited to one call per week per recruit (as long as you have the points available).

This is a very in depth game and is very good. It appeals to the older crowd though, as kids get frustrated by the realism and non-arcade style. You can make this game like that with the sliders, but it just isn't fun IMO.

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This game is a very good game. It's got a very cool legacy mode and that is usually why i buy sports game is for the franchise modes. This mode is decent with a few problems but overall is ok. A new addition is the coaching carousel which is pretty realistic. A good coach from a crappy school goes to a better, but struggling school and the crappy school gets a crappy coach from a crappier school.I like how there is goals for yourself to accomplish. For instance 200 or 500 career wins.The gameplay is a little diffucult at first but then it gets much easier once you get used to it.But the gameplay is pretty fun.I also like the juke box and the ice hockeye in the student lounge.This game cost me 20$ and i got it causeEA NCCA College was 50$ at the time,but now that it is only 30$ maybe now it is better deal.

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You might write off the above as just blind praise, but I'm serious. ID has been considered the only sim ball game to come out this gen. Actually this gen has been pretty sad unless you count DC. NBA 2K1 was really on to something then 2K2 started a downward trend. This game also beats down NBA Live 2005 and NBA 2K5. Right off the bat it's obvious the game was made with SIM priority.

The first thing I did was go online(bb only for some reason) and was instantly hooked. This game is easily the finest head to head basketball game you'll find mainly because it's pretty much cheese proof. Go jack up 3's and they won't drop. Try to crossover and just turbo into the paint, you'll get a well-deserved charge. Pass the ball corner to corner and you'll most likely get a TO. More often then not the person who knows their team and takes the smartest shots wins. The game is still paint-camper friendly with a LOONG 3 sec. violation and on default(not tweakable online) in-close shots are slightly too hard. But the positives far outweigh the negatives. Lag isn't a factor. The interface is Sega's best yet and is on par with XBL. The big draw for me is the league play...it makes playing Legacy mode difficult to go back to.

Another positive is the fouls. On default hacking away will get you on the bench quick, this really helps online. Plenty of shooting fouls are called, and the loose ball foul from the NBA game is back but not called enough. This is the ONLY game besides ID to get fouls right, and the ONLY game to get it right online. Free throw shooting is great, you can't master the system so you'll hit around the NCAA ave. of high 60 %'s at times instead of going 28/29.

All of these aspects and some great rim physics combine for a great game. No other basketball game has gotten all of the above things right, if someone tells you so they are lying. Another thing, turn off biorythim. Your kids will go through streaks without it, this just makes things uneven.

Speaking of Legacy it's set up really well. I'm not far, but one problem is the league leaders seem random. Other than that it's good, it's just at times playing the cpu. can get redundant fast.

The graphics have improved a lot and the view angles are great. No more jerky animation, most of them are really nice this year. The stadiums feel different from one another.

Don't worry about NBA 2K5's faults, they are much more subdoed in this game.

To me college basketball is better than the NBA so I kind of like playing this better. Todays NBA(and videogames) are dilluted by flash and selfishness, that will get you blown out in this game.

All is not well, however nothing here is a "gamekiller".

Here's the gripe list:

Running plays on offense is clunky. Mainly because players take too many steps after catching the ball.

Consolidation. If someone is inches behind me I don't want the player cocking the ball back for a two-handed dunk so it can get blocked. Same thing with layups. Sometimes the window of opportunity is wiped away because of an unecessary double pump fake reverse layup that could of just been kissed off the glass.

For whatever reason nobody covers the outlet pass on the break.

Traps/presses are still too easy to break.

Although it's coming along, the main fault of just about every Sega Sports title is still around. Playing the cpu. can bore the daylights out of me. Each team for the most part plays like the other. I used to enjoy one player on the genesis Live games but in this game the cpu is just bland. One very annoying thing is the amount of alley-oops the cpu. will resort to at times.

No ESPN videogame would be without glitches. The clipping from NBA 2K5 is still here(not as bad), so you'll see weird stuff like balls getting blocked go in etc...

The sound/atmosphere is poor, kind of a downer b/c CB is known for it's crazy enviornment. The play-by-play is average, but the chants are universal and get repetitive fast. So you don't hear "go state go" at Michigan State you hear "here we go Spartans here we go" and after a few games it's unbearable. The crowd is average, but completely cut off. The band doesn't come in and out at the appropiate times.

Overall the good easily outweighs the bad. If you are a fan of b-ball(NBA or college) this is a must-have. If you want more sloppy arcade-style play, keep playing your NBA Live/2K.

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I have been a loyal consumer of the ea sports march madness basketball games since the very first one. Untill I started trying out the Espn games under the sega name. first of all the price is worth a game that is just okay but not great. But this game does live up to the hype. the game goes deeper in the aspect of being a head coach then I have ever seen before and recruiting is just like you are in charge. and it has the best graphics I have ever seen in a sports game. I can't wait to try more espn games in the future.

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Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Hidden Expedition: Titanic - PC Reviews

Hidden Expedition: Titanic - PC
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $19.99
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As an adult who has purchased this game, I'm thinking one shouldn't have high expectations for things that give them hours of mindless fun. That's why I'm giving it 4 stars, instead of 3 or less. If you're looking for something that will hold your attention while you kill some time, or give your mind a bit of a rest, then this game is perfect. In fact, it can be rather addictive in that respect. I'm not one for complicated games, so personally, I love it.

I don't think a synopsis of the game is necessary (it's a game of "find the hidden object" not too many ways to elaborate on that), so I'll just say that the graphics are nice, and I like how the lists of items to be found change each time. Some objects are easy to find, others take a minute to locate. I'd prefer it if the extra "challenges" (they're really not all that challenging, especially after you've completed the game once) in between the levels changed as well, but sadly, they don't.

My biggest peeve with the game, if I can really even call it a peeve, is how it ends. While cracking that particular challenge is fun (again, in the mindless way), not only is it vague about how you actually accomplish it, it's rather anticlimactic. I won't ruin it with details, but suffice it to say that if you're playing the game for the most appropriate reasons (see above), the fact that the ending is kind of ho-hum shouldn't be a problem.

I'd definitely recommend it for anyone who'd like something that will keep them amused as they kill some time, but if you're looking for something more exciting or something that requires more a complex thought process this isn't it.

That said, my nephews (who are 4 and 9) love it! So, if you're looking for something that just about anyone in the family will enjoy, regardless of age, then my recommendation increases tenfold. I'm not an expert in childhood development, but I'm sure it doesn't do any harm to kids when developing their hunting skills on an intellectual/visual level, and it would probably do their attention spans a bit of good, too.

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I actually ordered this game from Big Fish Games several months ago, and have been playing it on & off ever since I finally finished my last "dive" tonight.

The goal of "Hidden Expedition: Titanic" is to search for lost artifacts & gems that are currently hidden within the ship-wrecked Titanic with the ultimate goal being to find the priceless crown which had once belonged to the queen. You do this by going on various dives in which you search for a list of specific items which have been embedded in the pictures of various locales.

At the start of each dive, you are given a certain amount of oxygen, as well as a time limit. You're also given the ability to ask for hints but be careful, each time you ask for a hint or guess wrong you lose a bit of time & oxygen. If you run out of time &/or oxygen, you'll have to start that particular dive again from the beginning.

Once you've found all of the items for a particular dive, you'll have to solve another type of puzzle in order to move on. These puzzles include searching for additional items that match the silhoettes given & restoring old photographs.

Overall, I found "Hidden Expedition: Titanic" to be a fun game & I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys "search & find" type games. I would also recommend the games from the Mystery Case File series, as they are of the same genre and are even more fun & addictive.

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While the game is certainly fun, it is not really fairly represented by the "Features" and "Description" used to describe it above.

Yes, you do search this game version of the Titanic (bearling little resemblance to the real thing). However there is no mystery to answer. You just search the areas and rooms of the boat and find a variety of items "hidden in plain sight" (harder than it sounds) in the huge clutter of miscellaneous junk and other 'stuff'. If you get though all of the ship, you do get to see the contents of the ship's safe (not a big deal). The version I have does not have a "Super Search Mode" though I suppose you could use your own magnifying glass (not a bad idea). The "precious treasures" you can collect are just sparkly little gem stones which are also buried/hidden in the clutter. Of much more use are the obscured air tanks that, if found, can increase your search time. The version I have does not have hard and easy "modes", but just one level of play. Yes, nice fish and bubbles do float by (and sometimes get in the way), but the music can become annoying (fortunately you can turn it off). With all that said, this game does provide an enjoyable way to spend some hours. For those wishing to try out the game before buying, go to the Pogo website and download the free trial version. It is not the whole game, but you'll get the idea.

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I play a lot of hidden object games. I had exhausted all the MCF games and thought I'd give this a try as it was highly rated. It looks really good and it was over-all ok to pass some time. It does have a little humor and some nice facts about the Titanic. My issues with it are these:

1) You are penalized for wrong clicks and for hints. Clicks chew up a little time and hints chew up A LOT of time. I prefer games that just give you a certain number of hints, instead of penalizing you for hints.

2) It sometimes has more than one object in the picture that might fit the search term, but only one is correct. I had this problem most with clocks. Combine this with the fact that wrong clicks are penalized and you get a recipe for frustration. This problem only occurred a few times though.

3) The background music can get annoying. The music loops are short and the theme is kind of intense in some places. Also, if you turn down the music, it doesn't stay that way next time you load the game.

4) Finally the game is kind of short. It is not the same value as games like Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate.

5) You have to wait for each item to float away and for its name to disappear from the item list before you can click the next item. This animation takes too long.

Overall, it's certainly not the worst hidden object game I've tried, but I won't be buying "Hidden Expedition: Everest."

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I bought this as a Christmas gift for my father, who played it online and liked it. I was happy I was able to buy a CD to give him instead of buying the game as a download so he had a gift to open. If you enjoy the I Spy CDs you'll enjoy this game too. The only thing is you have to find everything before you run out of time or oxygen. We've been enjoying it.

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Friday, August 1, 2014

Buy XCM X8 Unlock Tool Set for Xbox 360 Slim

XCM X8 Unlock Tool Set for Xbox 360 Slim
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
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extremely happy I purchased this. I feel there is no way to take the case off the 360 slims without breaking it with out this set. the instructions are non existent, but you can easily find instruction if you Google it. the only complaint I have is that the tools could have been labeled a little bit better. instead of just a, b, c etc... I would have also labeled where they will be used, for example tool " A " also labeled with BR standing for bottom right and so on and so forth. since it takes 5 tools all inserted just to remove the faceplate. Also on extra tool I would consider making would be one to open the locking tab that locks in the delicate ribbon cable. also there is a small tool that looks like a mini ice pick, I would have put that one in somesort of protective holster of some sort for clumsy people like me so we don't injure ourselves. I just make a sleeve for it by cutting a drinking straw from Mc donalds to cover that and it worked like a charm. all in all a must have for case modders or those who want to replace their cases. I only knocked one star off for lack of instructions but I would easily give it 4.5 stars. good luck finding an easier set of tools than this. I would definitely and highly recommend this set. made by cm and anyone who has modded before knows cm is quality stuff. happy modding everyone.

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pop and snap 2,pop and snap is what happen when you don't have the right tools, they shoud have included a diagram/ how the tools are used would have been helpful. the tools work great, once you figure them out. just take your time with the unit, and it will come apart. the lister needs to check on how they are listed there tools not a game. otherwise great to have.

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This key set works perfectly. Mind you, there is a learning curve for the end-user to know where everything goes -but there's a video on YouTube that'll guide you. This set allows you to remove the faceplate without damaging the warranty sticker, and I've replaced a few flex ribbon cables for customers only to have them completely confused as to how I opened their console without breaking the seal. Not always a necessity, but I feel it's a nice touch.

Pop the keys in the slots, wiggle them around a bit (you do have to sometimes pull the bottom ones out before the faceplate will give), and you're good to go! I can easily disassemble a slim in under two minutes with these. They're durable, last long, and are cheap. I wouldn't go for anything else, and I heavily considered the other offerings.

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These tools from XCM are fantastic to use when you can open your 360 slim better than prying it open. When i got my Tools i opened my slim and it made modification much easier . I build custom 360's so this tool is deffinately needed to do the type of work i do . When i liquid cooled my 360 Slim this made it easy to open with out cutting up the case and making a mess . I would recommend using this with Their Replacement case if you want a nice looking 360 . Another thing When you Open the case u will see the canals that allow you to open the case and i just sanded them down so its easy to open next time . Great tool for Any Case mod or DIY MOD

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They do make opening the slim easier, but that's not to say I didn't break a sweat. They still require a fair amount of wiggling and tinkering with to pop the thing open. I would buy them again if I had to, two improvements would have been to grind the edges smooth and harden the steal.

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Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Buy SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation bundled with Bluetooth Headset

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation bundled with Bluetooth Headset - Playstation 3
Customer Ratings: 3 stars
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THE GAME

I'll start by saying that this review will NOT be about SOCOM's various technical snafus. I've played the game through several revisions and I've had a fairly smooth ride from a technical standpoint. I'm going to review this game as though it runs perfectly, since I assume Slant Six will have it patched to that point in the very near future.

Instead, I want to discuss SOCOM: Confrontation as a game. And as a game, I've found that it ultimately falls short of being worth its retail price.

The game is ambitiously conceived, and the whole reason I purchased it in the first place was that the designers worked very hard to implement a number of features that I found very appealing and intelligent. Chief among these are the voice communication system and the motion-sensitive cover system. Ultimately, however, both fall short.

The voice system is for the most part well-implemented, but the team-wide chat is the same as any other multiplayer shooter, and the local-area open-mic chat is too quiet and erratic to be useful in combat. In addition, I've found that very few players put these features to use. This is not necessarily the fault of the publishers, but it's unfortunately typical of the experience you'd have playing this title.

The cover system is a nightmare. The game is full of awkwardly-proportioned obstacles that ensure that you will be firing into your own cover time and time again. The game punishes you for finding tactically valuable high ground by sticking a railing in your face that makes shooting downwards impossible. The only bright spot is the fact that you can make your character duck all the way to where he's kissing the dirt, then pop up and shoot. Assuming you don't shoot your own sandbags, it's a good tactic that's proven itself in ambushes.

As for the mechanics of the game, they're decidedly sub-par. The controls are needlessly complex. For example, there are three zoom levels, which means you need two buttons to navigate among them. Weapon switching is an incredible chore, and even though you have a quick-swap button, you can't configure which weapon comes up when you press it, so it defaults to your mostly useless pistol when grenades would be a far more desirable option. Instead, you have to hold the weapon select button, fiddle with the D-pad to find the weapon you want, then release the swap button while holding the D-pad. Even knowing how to do it, you still mess it up some of the time. Also, for a game bent on seeming "realistic", it is decidedly unbalanced when it comes to movement and shooting. Characters walking at full speed suffer no accuracy penalty vs. characters that are crouched still or even prone. Call of Duty 4 and 5, which are more arcade-y in other areas, offer far more realism in this regard. You have to slow down and use your sights to shoot at even moderately close range. But since the 3rd person view makes shooting difficult, and players have learned that you might as well charge, the game devolves into a lot of close-range circle-strafing, which is decidedly unrealistic, unenjoyable, and just plain stupid.

To make matters worse with SOCOM, the online experience itself is not well-designed. After using Call of Duty's simple, streamlined, easy matchmaking system, going to a PC-style menu of servers is a major step backwards. When you make yes/no selections in the menu, the cursor lags and jumps around, often picking the option you DIDN'T want. Another annoyance is that, while you can configure many different character loadouts, you can't switch among them without leaving the server! Not to constantly compare the game to the Call of Duty series, but this is clearly inferior. In COD, you can switch your profile any time you wish to adjust to the game type and map. SOCOM does not allow this, which is a major annoyance given the fact that multiple equipment loadouts come in handy depending on the game type, and most ranked room run in medley form. True, you can change your weapons and secondaries between lives, but these all have to be done one item at a time. Also, you can't change your armor settings mid-game at all.

There are some good points to this game. Character creation is deep, fun, and the instant availability of weapons and camouflage let you design your warrior just how you'd like. The weapons have a realistic feel, aided by the outstanding sound design and excellent explosion and impact effects. And Crossroads really is the best multiplayer map that's ever been made. It's just spectacular. I score markedly better on this map than any of the others. I'm going to miss it when I sell this game next week.

But the best part of this game isn't part of the game at all, it's...

THE HEADSET

There's no denying it. This headset is an outstanding piece of kit. It's discreet, light, it functions perfectly, pairs easily, sounds great, is comfortable enough, and the battery lasts a long, long time. It also survived a fall from about six feet up onto a hardwood floor, so I'd say it's durable. I had to use the included smaller ear disc, since I have funny ears, but hey, they were nice enough to provide it. Assuming future titles will have headset support, this is a must-own.

SOCOM: Confrontation is a disappointing, frustrating game whose many bright spots fail to outweigh its even bigger annoyances. In an online shooter market packed with two Call of Duty games, Resistance 2, and the upcoming Killzone 2, there simply is no room for this game among its many superior competitors.

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I've been playing this game for 2 months now and have found no end in the entertainment it can provide.

The game received bad reviews initially for server issues and bugs that have now been resolved. The developers are clearly committed to fixing problems, improving the game, and adding more content in the future. A poorly designed menu system is immediately apparent, but should not reflect the quality of the game itself.

Previously I played SOCOM:Combined Assault, and this game is completely redesigned, featuring smaller maps that provide for a more intimate, engaging fighting experience. The game play is truly second to none. All the press attention may go to Call of Duty 4 and 5, and those are great games, but the realism and graphic detail is nothing compared to SOCOM:Confrontation.

All the maps (Fallen, Urban Wasteland, Crossroads, Kasbah, Frostfire, Desert Glory, and Quarantine) are well designed and provide for a fair engaging competition between the two teams. This game now switches sides between Seals and Mercenaries halfway through the game to insure that any unfairness in the map is not reflected in the final score. The new communication system allows for better communication between teammates. Each player's audio can be heard by other players (friendly and enemy) physically near them in the game, while pressing L2 will broadcast over the radio to all teammates regardless of location in the map. Playing this game without a headset is unacceptable.

The new Player Profile section allows your character to be fully customized (including Camouflage Color, Skin Color, Face, and Attire) for both Seal and Mercenary. It will also allow you to predefine your default firearms and gear.

The audio provides realistic gunfire and a dynamic soundtrack that changes based on what you are experiencing in the game.

I highly recommend this game, it should definitely be the bestselling PlayStation 3 game currently available.

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Wow, how this thing was ever considered as a finished product is beyond me. This has to be one of the worst PS3 titles I've encountered. The biggest complaint I have involves the numerous bugs.

Installing the game itself and trying to play it for the first time gives you an error message. It seems as if the 1.10 patch which you are forced to download corrupts your save game. Since the game creates a save game when it first launches it is an impossible error to avoid. After patching the game you will be informed that your save game is corrupt and that you must manually exit the game and delete the save game. Seriously, the game forces you to delete its own save game just to play it for the first time.

While playing this game you will encounter the following: You will get lock-ups leading to a frozen console. You will see other players' characters missing weapons. Most of the servers' "channels" will be full and open games will be difficult to find. You will encounter serious lag during play. Closer aiming will inexplicably cause your character to stand up. The menus will respond slowly to your input.

There are other issues with this game beyond the glitches alone. The graphics are poor for a PS3 title. The textures are muddy and low resolution. The game has plain lighting effects which fail to impress. The blood effects appear to lifted directly from Mortal Kombat. The control scheme is unnecessarily complicated with poor default mapping. All buttons on the controller are used and some serve multiple functions based on the duration of a press. Unfortunately, this doesn't really lead to superior control versus other, similar, games. It's complex for the sake of complexity. Features you expect in a modern game such as the ability to join one of your friend's games in progress, player muting, or even something as simple as your own name being highlighted in a long list of party members are absent. Trophies, which are indicated on the box itself, are nowhere to be found. They are promised in a future patch.

I'll write briefly about the headset as it's likely that's a main draw in the purchase of this bundle. There are a couple of minor problems with the device. The unit itself is quite heavy. It is by far the bulkiest Bluetooth headset I've used. You may feel your ear getting fatigued earlier than you'd hope for because of this. The ear cushion is not adjustable in size so it may flop around in your ear as it dangles from the headset's hook. The main attraction to be found is the giant mute button in the middle of the device. Most headsets created for use with cellular phones have an inconvenient mute function. You will also receive on-screen notifications when changes are made to the unit such as volume adjustment, the mute toggle, and a battery charge indicator.

SOCOM: Confrontation isn't ready for prime time. It has far too many show-stopping bugs and feels unpolished in most aspects. I would stay far away from this game. The headset is worth a purchase, but the game itself is not.

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I was using a Blu Ant headset with my PS3. Unfortunately, it died and I needed a new headset. My goal was to purchase the official PS3 headset. Unfortunately, it was sold out everywhere UNLESS I went with the bundled Socom:Confrontation package. I'd read very mixed, mostly negative reviews, but I figured the bugs had been fixed by way of patch and it was really popular Sony exclusive, so there would be a community that would be able to help me figure it out.

The headset works great in fact, it's awesome. First party peripherals rarely dissappoint and I reccomend it if you are using brand x.

Socom:Confrontation is garbage. It has a lengthy patch after the lengthy download. It promptly froze the first time I booted up. And the second. Once in the main menu, you will find absolutely NOTHING in way of tutorial or explination. There are no training missions and no option to play against bots. The ONLY option is to go straight online. Not only does this suck for people new to the game, but for those who are already online, it's no fun having people jump in that are totally clueless.

Once online, using my nifty new headset I said "what's up guys, I'm new to the game, any pointers?" I was promtly booted. Next game I wondered about, picked up five kills (lead the room in kills) and was promptly booted as soon as the next match started. These were 8 (of a possible 32) people matches. The quality of players was sketchy and I checked and there were only 9500 people globally playing. Compare this to 350,000 people playing Killzone 2 at any given time or 900,000 playing 2 year old COD:MW in any week. I gave it a few hours and found the game boring and maps nearly empty. Furthermore, even an experienced gamer will get wrecked by experienced players in any given game (I pwn on Killzone, but get pwned in COD). There aren't a lot of players and on a weekend over the course of several hours, no skilled players that made me think I was outclassed.

The actual nuts and bolts play isn't bad. Playing 3rd person is differnt after 1000's of hours playing in the first person, but it's okay. The graphics are last generation. I understand that this is a PSP game ported to PS3, but this is really terrible. The load out is simple enough, but in most of the matches I joined, I had equipment that was restricted and I almost always played with whatever the host wanted me to play with. The pacing is MUCh slower than COD and Killzone 2, in my opinion, too slow. After having played games that require thought AND move very fast, whipping up on the SOCOM players felt almost unfair. Again, the quality players seemed to be playing something else.

When you play Killzone or see videos of COD:MW2 running, it really makes you wonder who Sony and Slant 6 thought would play this game. Graphics aren't everything, but Socom is not user friendly, it is not something you can pick up and play and offers nothing to entice new players to comeback and get better (hence the few number of people playing). I thought there was no way Socom could possibly be as bad as some of the reviews and it's my favirote genre of games. Turns out the negative reviews were right on. This is a bad game. Go buy COD, Killzone 2, Brothers in Arms, Dora the Explorer. DO NOT SPEND MONEY ON THIS GAME YOU WILL REGRET IT. Consider yourself warned.

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Looked forward to getting this game, and found out, there was no game. The only thing is that you are connected to the internet, choose up sides, and kill each other, with somewhat varying landscapes. A real loser and waste of money. Gamespot basically put no worth in it, not even giving me the cost of the bluetooth headset. What a rip! I wanted to rate this no stars, because it did not deserve even one star.

Oct. 8, 2011

Haven't changed my mind about this game. What is truly telling, is that Amazon is offering a whopping $2.55 to you if you want to trade this game in. That is pitiful for a $59.95 game. Really sucks.

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